Most Common Colors Used

[rsmalley52]

I am just starting out painting my own baits, and was wondering what colors you guys used the most other than white and black.  Crankbaits that I'm interested in making are for walleye and bass.  What would be a good start of colors I should get to have some baits painted correctly?

 

Thanks

 

Ryan

[HAWGFAN]

Look through your tackle box.  What patterns do you like and catch fish on?  Many on here use Createx paints.  They'll have many of the colors you want, straight from the bottle.  Others can be mixed.

[BobP]

Brown, Caribbean Blue, Green, Neon Yellow, Orange, Red, Gray, Pearl White - all Createx Transparent colors - are a good basic array.  You also need a heavily pigmented white to lay down a color basecoat.  Polytranspar Superhide White is my favorite for this, ordered from taxidermy.net.  I've accumulated 30-40 colors.  They include pearls and flakes that I like to use to make lures look more realistic.  Createx colors can be mixed to make intermediate colors and the basic Createx palette is the best place to start.

[northshorechrome]

Brown, Caribbean Blue, Green, Neon Yellow, Orange, Red, Gray, Pearl White - all Createx Transparent colors - are a good basic array.  You also need a heavily pigmented white to lay down a color basecoat.  Polytranspar Superhide White is my favorite for this, ordered from taxidermy.net.  I've accumulated 30-40 colors.  They include pearls and flakes that I like to use to make lures look more realistic.  Createx colors can be mixed to make intermediate colors and the basic Createx palette is the best place to start.

you saying all the above colors are transparents or they are opaques and then get all transparents?

[saltwater]

If you want to "hide" your lures from fish...paint them red..

[gone2long]

I have allot of Createx opaque colors and a pint of transparent base a quart of 5608 illustration base and a pint of airbrush medium which is colorless paint and I've had great results with this setup, that being said I also have a lot of "specialized colors" that I use such as fastback green, Sepia, fluorescent and pearl colors. I guess to put it simply that I have a little of everything but the base colors will do you no wrong getting started.

[BobP]

Other than opaque white base and black, I usually favor Createx transparent colors.  Spray a light coat to layer colors, spray a little heavier for opaque effect, which makes them a little more adaptable than their opaque versions.

[gone2long]

I concur I have a ton of different colors and types but I did quite well using the transparent base with the opaque's but it is a heck of allot more convenient to have a bottle already made transparent. I've also made some of my own pearls with sample packs of pearl powder that I bought using the AB medium.

[woodieb8]

walleyes love charteuse base/white base. gold colors are great also. as for bass here on st clair its not my area to comment.

[dpalinsk]

I fish exclusively for Striped Bass in California, mostly in the Aqueduct. Based on my limited experience of about year or so painting lures, I would have to say that the answer to your question depends upon what patterns you'll be painting. I started out with the Createx paints then moved up to Wicked and now I've fallen in love with the AutoAir line, especially the transparent paints. I think Transparent Sepia is a must have. (Just picked up the Hi-Light green and Hi-gold and love the color shift effect they add, especially the green.) if you think you're going to really get into painting, IMHO I'd go straight to Auto Air line.

I was just at Coast Airbrush a couple of weeks ago, and was told that they are working with Createx on a new line of air brush paints that from a base set of primary colors you'll be able to mix an array of colors following provided color mixing ratios. The dude told me a bunch more details about related products, and it sounds like a pretty good and cost effective system. Supposed to be released on May 1st. You may want to wait for that new stuff and give them a call to learn more about it. I wish I could remember the dudes name cause he was really knowledgeable and very helpful.

[Anglinarcher]

I look at it this way, what species of fish do you plan on paint for, are you painting to sell or use, and what depth.

 

For example, in clear water, red disappears in the top 10' of water, the yellow, then green, then blue, then violet.  But in muddy water, depending on the water color, how muddy, etc., red may disappear at 5', but the others are blocked at maybe 2 feet.  So, if you are fishing deeper then 10', red may not be a color you want.  Still, I mentioned species didn't I.

 

Walleye have rods and cones like our eyes have, but their cones only see red and green.  If red is truly lost in 10' like we are told, then why do their eyes see red, unless ........ OK, for another post.  (They take microscopic samples of the cones and expose them to different wavelengths of light and then test for any chemicals created.  No chemicals, no see, chemicals, they are assumed to see).  If they only see red and green, then why do they get caught on even purple?  OK, for another post.

 

Still, my theory is to start out with a limited range of colors, following the color wheel.  Red, yellow, green, blue, purple.  Toss in the ever effective black and white.  Then, if you can figure it out add some silver and gold........

 

Assuming that you won't use purple much, you can get away with 6 colors and a couple of metallic colors.  Because you have the primary colors, you can mix up what you need.

 

OR, you can do what I have done and buy way way way too many colors, then find alternates so you hardly use your airbrush....... Did you know you can buy decal wet transfer sheets and print photos on them, trim them to your lure, transfer the photo to your lure, clear coat, touch up a little at the belly and back, and be done......?

[jt_ncbassman]

Okay I am a super-newbie here compared to these guys, but I have found in the last two years 80% of fish I have caught on my handmade cranks came off a pattern that is simply transparent yellow over white base, for the back I mix a tiny little dab of black into my yellow pot which makes a dark-ish green.    This color consistently catches Red Drum in clear, sound tidal waters.   Largemouth in muddy Catawba river lakes,  and smallmouth and spots out on the crystal clear flats.    

 

I have had a BALL throwing my flatside cranks around the state.  I swear sometimes people get irritated when Im picking quality fish left and right and I'm fishing the same spawning flat or grass flat with ten other boats around.   The difference is, I'm throwing a large profile, well constructed flatside that is painted with the right blend of Yellow and Black, which turns out looking so much more natural than any "sexy shad" that the big companies paint.    It is a certain tint or "hue" that makes fish respond to it.   I guess what I have found to be most important in my short time painting,  is to spend more time getting the tint of your colors right,  and learning how to fade the top of the bait into the sides, rather than worrying about getting your scales and stencils painted perfectly.    Learning how to paint can truly give you an advantage no matter where you fish.  And these guys here on the forum will gladly help you along the road just like they helped me.  Good Luck.  

[rsmalley52]

Thanks everyone for the replies and advise, they are all helpful and have learned a lot from them.

 

I've even come up with my baits new custom name.  Smalley Advantage...now just to hone in my painting skills and find some customers!

[O'l Robzilla]

Didn't read ever ones replies but some of the ones i use are, pineapple yellow, tropical green, flamingo pink, flame red, wicked orange, sunburst orange, florescent orange, chameleon, pearl gold, emerald green, transparent purple, Sky blue, baby blue. many more but like someone said above any of the transparent family is a winner! oh ya my secret colour i use is sepia is brownish but gives like a root beer transparent layer. go to the create website and learn the 5 types of paint Opaque,transparent,florescent,pearl,iridescent. learn what each one does theres a brief explanation what each paint does and how it acts. hope this helps. good luck

[saltwater]

Anglinarcher makes a good point about the walleye cones. "Walleye have rods and cones like our eyes have, but their cones only see red and green.  If red is truly lost in 10' like we are told, then why
do their eyes see red, unless."

 

It is true that walleye see red but, below 10' there is no red. whether walleye,shark or human there is no red light wave length to see, it is not there to see. So, what is seen? Grey...grey is what red becomes below 10' of water. I learned this the first time I went spear fishing and saw Red Snapper, they were grey, not red.

 

What is important is not color but contrast is what is important. All fish can see contrast. In other words ,fish can see different shades no matter the color.